Trap



March 2,1948; F 2,437,020

TRAP

Filed Aug. 21, 1944 a Jnmz IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAP Charles J. Ford, New York, Y.

Application August 21, 1944,, SerialNO, 550,453

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to traps, designed primarily for catching rats, mice, and other rodents, one of the objects being to provide a device adapted to be placed on the market as an article of manufacture and which, when applied to the open end of an ordinary tin can-r similar container, will form a complete trap.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which issimple and inexpensive in construction, and is very compact so as to permit convenient storage and shipping.

A still further object is to provide a device which eliminates the cost of the body portions of traps provided where the animals are to be kept alive, it being possible to use in lieu of the usual container, an ordinary tin can after it has been emptied.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the article constituting the present invention, the parts being shown in their normal positions.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section through said article applied to a can or other container, a portion of which is broken away, the trap being shown set and baited,

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a plate of suitable sheet material having a segmental opening 2, and above this opening the plate provides a segmental wall 3. Wings 4 are extended backwardly from the margin of the plate and can have a certain amount of resiliency so that if the open end of a can C is pressed against the plate, these wings can engage the outer surface of the container, thereby gripping the same and holding the plate assembled therewith. The plate can be formed with downwardly diverging legs 5 so positioned and proportioned that when the structure is placed on edge, these legs will engage the supporting surface and prevent the trap from rolling.

Formed integral with the lower or straight edge of the segmental wall 3 are sleeves 6, which are alined and spaced apart. These sleeves constitute supports for a rod 1 carrying sleeves 8, which 2 are formed integral with the straight edge of a segmental door 9, 'proportloned to close the openm r when the door is closed. A spring I9 is coiled about the rod I and has its terminals H and I2 bearing against door 9 and wall '3 respectively. Thus the door is maintained normally closed.

A small opening l3 is' provided' in the door at a point removed from the hinge formed by rod 1 and sleeves 6 and 8, and this opening is so located that it will register with another opening M in the wall 3 when the door is fully raised to open position as shown in Figure 2.

Below opening l4 ears l5 are pressed backwardly from wall 3 and support a pivot pin it pivotally engaged by a loop [1. This loop is formed by the intermediate portion of a length of stiff wire which includes, in addition to the loop, a long bait-supporting arm l9 terminating in a hook 20 and a short arm 2| terminating in a finger 22. Arm 2| is extended upwardly relative to pin l6 while arm I9 is extended normally backwardly therefrom, when the trap is set, as shown in Figure 2. Arm 2| and finger 22 are so proportioned that when thetrap is set, finger 22 will extend through the registering openings l4 and I3, finger 22 being inclined downwardly relative to the engaged door 9 so as to thus hold the door in raised or set position against the action of tensioned spring l0.

Normally, the device constituting the present invention when disassembled from the can or other container 0 has the door 9 in position across the opening 2 and the arm [9 substantially parallel with the plate I. To use the trap the door is swung to open position against the wall 3 and arm I9 is swung on its pivot so as to cause finger 22 to enter the two openings l4 and I3 and lap the adjacent. portion of the door 9 so as to hold the door against wall 3. A piece of bait indicated as B is placed on the hook 20 either before or after the parts are setv Thereafter the plate I can be pressed against the open end of a used can so that said end will be received between the annular series of wings 4 and be gripped thereby. Thereafter the entire tructure can be placed on a supporting surface and the legs 5, engaging said surface, will prevent the trap from rolling laterally. A rodent entering the trap through the opening 2 and pulling on the bait B will cause the arm l9 to pull the short arm 2| inwardly, thereby swinging the finger 22 out of the opening I3 and allowing spring 10 to snap the door 9 to a closed position. Thus the rodent will be trapped alive and subsequently can be removed simply by pulling the plate I oil of the end of the can. Obviously, a device of this character permit the trapping of a rodent and to release it into a container in which it can be destroyed, without the necessity of touching the interior of the can. Furthermore, by trapping a rodent alive, there are none of the objections present when a rodent is killed in the trap. Furthermore, this trap conceals the trapped rodent from view. Many other advantages are present, as will be obvious, but the advantage of primary importance is the simplicity of construction of the article and the fact that it can be used in connection with any empty can which otherwise might be discarded.

What is claimed is: An article of manufacture for use in connection with an empty can open at one end, including a plate having an inlet, spring Wings on the plate adapted for gripping the open end portion ofthe can to hold it assembled with the plate, a door normally closing the inlet, a hinge connecting the door to one side of the plate for swinging movement toward or from the plate, a spring carried by the hinge and adapted to hold the door normally closed, there being openings in the plate and door positioned to register when the door is in full open position, a bait carrying arm pivotally connected to the other side of the plate and adapted. to be positioned for insertion into the engaged can, an arm movable with the bait carry- 4 ing arm and extended at an angle thereto, and a finger extending from said angularly disposed arm positioned for movement in one direction into the openings to engage the door and hold it in open position against the action of the spring, and in the opposite direction to withdraw from the door opening to release the door, said door, when open, being positioned against and extended beyond the edge of the plate.

CHARLES J. FORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 377,589 Warner Feb. 7, 1888 1,033,761 Kampfe July 23, 1912 1,261,189 Tremble Apr. 2, 1918 1,326,662 Kampfe Dec. 30, 1919 1,480,476 Steele Jan. 8, 1924 1,516,312 Scott Nov. 18, 1924 2,094,496 Rosenberg Sept, 28, 1937 2,216,644 Heldman Oct. 1, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 435,396 France Dec. 23, 1911 

